Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have landed in Australia for their four-day private trip full of engagements, and the Duchess of Sussex made a fabulous first impression before even landing down under.
Markle, 44, is slated to be the headline speaker for “Her Best Life” women’s wellness retreat in Sydney, Australia, which takes place from April 17-19. Gemma O’Neill, the co-host of the event and longtime manager of Australian TV and radio presenter Jackie O Henderson, gushed over her private Zoom call with Markle ahead of the girls’ weekend.
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“I’ve literally just got off a Zoom with Meghan,” said O’Neill via Instagram on April 10. “It couldn’t have been any more kind of real. I just immediately loved chatting to her.”
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As far as what event goers, who paid between $2,699 and $3,199 for tickets, can expect, O’Neill teased that Markle would be getting very candid during her time on stage.
“She was like, ‘Let’s just have a real chat, woman to woman, let’s just go for it,’” O’Neill recalled about their planning chat, adding that the former Suits actress is “really looking forward to being in a room with our community and great women.”
O’Neill called the Duchess “divine” and admitted she was “beside herself” over the partnership after respecting Markle’s resilience in the public eye over the years.
“I have admired this woman and what she has endured, how she’s risen above it, and how she has demonstrated how a woman can be pushed down, and she can still rise,” O’Neill said. “That person is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. I can’t believe I am saying those words … There is no one more shocked than me.”
While Markle and Prince Harry, 41, are in Sydney, they will also participate in an Invictus Australia sailing event in Sydney Harbour and attend a rugby match.
In addition to their engagements around Sydney, the couple also has plans to visit Melbourne. The Duke of Sussex is expected to be the keynote speaker at the InterEdge Summit on April 16, discussing workplace mental health and leadership. The couple will also visit the Royal Children’s Hospital and meet with veteran families at the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum.
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Last time the Sussexes visited Australia in 2018, they were newly married and still senior working members of the royal family. A lot has changed for the couple over the years. They are now parents to their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. In 2020, they stepped back from their royal duties and have since relocated to California.
While the Australian walkabout looks like a royal tour, it is considered a private trip for Harry and Markle. They will be making visits to support philanthropic efforts, but they are also making paid appearances.
“The programme is rooted in long-standing areas of work for the Duke and Duchess, with a clear focus on amplifying organisations delivering measurable impact,” a media statement from the couple’s organization read ahead of their visit, per Australia’s ABC News. “The visit prioritises listening, learning and supporting communities rather than promotion.”